Preliminary hearing for Lawrence Crouch set for Dec. 7

CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER: Lawrence Crouch, 62, waits to appear before District Court Judge Patrick Murphy in Broomfield. Crouch on Friday was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Mary McGrath at East of Sweden Saab repair shop on Oct. 12.
(David R. Jennings)

Lawrence Crouch, 62, was charged Thursday in Broomfield court. In addition to murder and attempted murder charges, he also faces charges of attempted arson, possession of explosives or an incendiary device and crimes of violence.

His preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. Dec. 7.

Crouch is accused of killing McGrath, a 56-year-old employee of East of Sweden Saab repair shop in Broomfield. He also is suspected of attempting to murder Amber Carr, an employee at the extended-stay motel where he lived at 7393 Jefferson Ave. in Lakewood. He also plotted to throw a makeshift bomb behind the motel’s front desk and burn down the motel, but backed out of the plan when Carr was not at work

Oct. 12, according to an arrest affidavit.

In the affidavit, Crouch told police he planned McGrath’s shooting for at least a year before carrying out the act, but picked Oct. 12 because he was out of money and had nothing left to lose.

He described the act of killing McGrath as "stress relief." Crouch told police he wanted to kill McGrath because she was "a drunk, a shrew and a thief" who took advantage of Bob Wisdom, the owner of East of Sweden, where McGrath worked and the shooting happened.

McGrath, Crouch and Wisdom are former roommates.

Those who knew McGrath described as kind and without a mean bone in her body.

Crouch told police he planned to kill Carr, the motel employee, because her accounting practices were “horrible.”

After Crouch was arrested Oct. 12, the Adams County Bomb Squad was called to search his car for possible explosives. Witnesses said he possibly had a bomb in his car. The bomb squad detonated an unidentified object found in the car.

Crouch said little during the court appearance on Friday except to say he understood the charges and agreed to the date for his preliminary hearing. He is being held without bail at the bail at Broomfield County jail.

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